If you are new to diving, always let your instructor help you to select the right gear. If you don't trust your instructor to honestly and fairly help you with dive gear, why would you trust them to teach you to dive?

I take pride in working with my students to select gear for them that: 1) reflects their style of diving 2) is good quality that does not have to be replaced in 6 months 3) is fairly priced and within their budget 4) will last them as they progress through at least several dive classes

So you got certified and have a few dives under your belt. You'd like to dive some more but can't find a good dive buddy. What to do?

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Here on Florida's Treasure Coast there are lots of options! Join a local dive club. Our Vero Beach Scuba Club (www.verobeachscubaclub.org) has divers of all abilities and they mentor and help newer divers. VBSC runs frequent trips and there is always a dive buddy!

And Stuart Scuba (wwww.stuartscuba.com) ALWAYS has an experienced DM in the water. Just let the DM know that you want to hang with them and that you may need a little extra TLC. Of course, you can also hire a private DM and instructor for that extra security and confidence.

I’ve noticed that many OW divers get thru the concept of partial pressure and Dalton’s law during OW class but don’t actually understand it. The concept of Partial Pressure and Dalton’s Law is a very important part of good dive planning and a critical part of nitrox and mixed gas diving. So here goes with what I hope is a simple explanation. There is a lot more to this topic and an advanced nitrox class will give you more in depth knowledge. If you want to get started with Nitrox Diving, the SDI Computer Nitrox Diver course is the place to start. Visit http://www.tdisdi.com/elearning-courses/computer-nitrox-diver/.

Humans are forgetful creatures. A checklist is an easy way to help us remember the process and order of things. In diving, checklists are especially important. Most people dive infrequently and the process of setup and getting ready for diving may not be a natural flow for them. And for those of us that dive a lot, or too much according to my wife, those same checklists keep us from being complacent or just skipping stuff because we’re in a hurry. Many times on a dive boat I get interrupted by someone with a problem or question while I am setting myself up. My checklist makes sure I go thru everything I need to ensure a fun and safe dive!